The conception of ourselves as electrochemical entities is an historical phenomenon, one that has evolved over centuries of philosophical theorizing, experimentation, and practical application. The implications of this self-image have subtle, wide-reaching effects on the construction of our world. At the end of the twentieth century, this is a world where transgenic goats become manufacturing plants for human pharmaceuticals; where ingested radioactive isotopes facilitate the monitoring of our thought processes; and where psychoactive drugs dispel the madness of our historical civilizations, making way for new madnesses as yet unimagined.
In "Spike", the history leading to our current view of biology as electrochemically driven is explored. My intent is to analyze an ephemeral concept that, while often overlooked, has enormous significance for contemporary society. "Spike" traces the inventions, empirical practices, frames of mind, twists of fate, and creative insights that have brought us to our current electrified biological self-portrait.
